Apparently the characters are not "likeable", they're self-absorbed, entitled and privileged... they're good looking, well off and sheltered from the roughness of the world; they're party people... and this was a problem for critics at the time of release...

I say, who cares?! It's a good movie... It has drama, the tension builds throughout, it's a good character study of a particular kind of person in our society, it explores the angst that is common enough to be a universal theme in that age, when one is negotiating the transition to being an adult in the real world... and has some pretty funny, sad and realistic dialogue... we've all seen a version of this at a party at some point, whether there were drugs and alcohol involved or not...

I liked it... I think the sentimentality at the end was well-earned and is realistic... the major theme of the film is how we'll use anything to distract ourselves from facing uncomfortable, painful truths (a break up, or whatever) about how we feel... it doesn't matter how sophisticated our lifestyles are... I think this is what really got the critics... it removes the facade of all of that coolness and status and we're left with the naked humanity underneath...

It humanises these "un-likeable" privileged people in a way that is not fashionable these days... I think it was unfairly maligned at it's release... featuring on "worst of" lists and getting lousy reviews...

What do you guys think?